


Golden Waves

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Oneshot, merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 06:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13335813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Harry Hart is tasked with finding a creature that has been mentioned int he most far-fetched of legends and supported by sightings and scientific research. Harry thinks he's looking for nothing more than a mindless creature but he gets the shock of his life one day when he falls overboard.





	Golden Waves

**Author's Note:**

> Based off some fanart that I found on Tumblr and can be seen here: http://fyeahhartwin.tumblr.com/post/169143236850/hartwin-x-mermaid-au-art-by-yuya15s
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Harry stared out at the ocean around him. It was a calm day with waves lapping gently at the hull of the ship.

“It’s the perfect day for a search,” Merlin said, stepping up next to him.

He nodded. “Today’s going to be the day. We’re going to find it. I can feel it.”

“You’ve said that every time we’ve shipped out so far,” Merlin pointed out. “But I must commend you on your dedication to finding this creature at the behest of Arthur. All the onboard checks have been completed and the Captain is waiting for your signal.”

Harry smiled, gripping the handle of the saber strapped around his waist. “Then we best get to it. We don’t want to keep our find waiting too long.”

Merlin tucked his tablet under his arm and turned on his heel, leaving Harry alone at the railing. Harry could hear the shouts of the crew members as they untied the rope from their hold on shore. It was hardly a moment before the engines rumbled to life underneath his feet and they pulled away from the dock, looking to leave the harbor behind.

The wind whipped at his suit jacket gently before becoming harsher as their speed increased and they swung out of the harbor, following the flow of land. Previous sightings and research left them with the knowledge their catch liked to hang around near land when it wasn’t hunting or feeding. Harry knew it was a curious creature with a particular fascination with humans. Arthur surmised that it was because they weren’t creatures of the sea it was familiar with or even similar to other wildlife that might make an appearance near the ocean.

Their boat slowed as they came closer to an outcropping of rocks. He scanned the water, waiting for the white froth of the waves to disappear so he could see underneath. A few colorful fish scurried away and he frowned, keeping his focus on what he was really looking for.

Many people before him, and the many trips he’d already taken around the coasts, were in search of the fabled half-fish, half-person that was said to roam the waters. Some people characterized the creature as a man or merman and stories had been told about his exploits and how he’d helped sailors in need, but left those who were selfish and hurt others drown in the depths of the ocean, their bodies never to be seen or recovered again.

Harry felt a thrill of excitement run through him. He was fascinated by what the creature could be. He wanted to learn from it and study it and knew Kingsman desired to do the same. So many insights could be learned from a creature who was able to live in and out of the water. At least that was what they believed. Harry braced himself as they maneuvered around another curve, barely avoiding the rock outcropping that was hidden by the waves.

Harry glanced back at the deck where the captain and main crew were. Even with the waves, they shouldn’t have cut things that closely. He almost wanted to let it go so he could keep inspecting the depths of the water, but he turned form the railing with a frown. If it wasn’t a mistake he should let them know so they wouldn’t risk crashing into the rocks.

His shoes clicked over the wood of the deck as he headed for the stairs. He stumbled when the boat jerked and he gave a sharp look up at the crew. He whipped around and saw them just miss a column of rock. He hurried across the deck and grabbed the handle of the stairs, whipping around the corner to sprint up them.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he burst through the door.

“Sorry about that, sir,” the captain apologized too serenely for his comfort. “This fog is not providing for the best sailing circumstances.”

“Fog?” Harry questioned. He turned to look out the window and found there did appear to be a thick layer of fog over the water. “But where did that…” he hurried through the door to stop on the landing outside. Where the air had been clear moments before, there was thick white fog everywhere. “That’s impossible. This wasn’t here a moment ago. Captain,” he called behind him. “Can you slow our speed to make sure we don’t run into land?”

“Of course, sir!” he called back.

Harry hurried back down the stairs to the main deck. The stairs disappeared behind him and he felt uneasiness grip him. He felt isolated in a fog that made no sense. He walked carefully against the planks, stumbling when he came upon the edge of the ship suddenly. If he hadn’t been watching where he was going he would’ve gone right over the edge.

He shuffled along the edge, searching for where the railing started. The water was covered, reflecting the image of the white mist, preventing him from seeing underneath the waves.

“Shit,” he hissed under his breath. There was no way they would be able to find their prize at this rate. The boat jerked again and Harry stumbled for a moment before he caught his balance. Water rushed over the edge of the boat and soaked his shoes in chilly water. He shivered and stepped back. “Captain?” he called again.

He furrowed his brow when he got no response. He turned and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Captain?!” he called again.

“Sir?” he called back in question.

“Turn back! We won’t find anything like this!”

“Are you certain, sir? We are still able to sail.” His voice sounded strangely distant.

“I’m sure. Turn back. We can plan for another trip later.”

“Understood, sir!”

Harry shook his head as his voice echoed. The ship turned sharply and Harry stumbled back, reaching for the railing he’d failed to find. He sucked in a breath of air just before plunging underneath the reach of the waves and being swallowed by cold. He forced himself to push down the panic that wanted to surge up at the thought of being drowned under the dark water.

He fought to right himself, but the press from the ship’s engines tossed him in the water until he wasn’t sure which direction was up. He fought to right himself and practically gasped when a dark blur swam in front of his vision. He tried to backpedal, but that only served to spin him in the water faster.

Harry took a minute and closed his eyes, feeling the way the water pushed and pulled. He was on the end of his ability to hold his breath and needed to break the surface to get some oxygen in his lungs if he didn’t want to risk becoming fish food. He felt his body settle and opened eyes, flinching as the black blur passed in front of him again.

Something wrapped around his stomach and pulled him. He fought at first, worried he was getting dragged further under the surface, but his head broke above the waves impossibly quickly. He gasped in lungfuls of air and threw out his arms to start treading water.

The grip around his waist disappeared and Harry spun in a circle, trying to find what had brought him to the surface. There was nothing in sight. He swallowed and turned towards the rocks and land, swimming over to them even as the waves sought to pull him further out to sea. He felt like he’d already been swimming for ages, but knew it was the tension from the situation that was doing it to him.

He stumbled when the pool shallowed and his feet hit sand and rock. His legs were wobbly as he fought to walk and movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head sharply and saw a head duck behind a column or rocks.

“Are you the one who saved me?” Harry asked. He hurried around the column, but found the water empty. He frowned, looking around. He knew he’d seen something. A head of blond hair ducked behind more rocks and Harry splashed over to it quickly. “Please, let me thank you properly for saving my life.”

The water was empty again and he sighed, disappointed. He shook his head and turned away, freezing when something that was obviously not entirely human filled his vision. Without thinking, he pulled his saber from its sheath and darted forward, lashing out. He grinned, smile triumphant when the creature flinched back, but froze when the saber pierced the fin of his tail.

It let out a small whine that went straight through Harry’s chest and his triumph faded quickly. The creature shook, looking at him with obvious fear in his eyes and Harry’s gaze fell to wear blood was drifting out into the water from the cut.

“Shit,” he cursed and dropped to his knees. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” he apologized. He examined the cut as best he could through the wave and glanced up at where the creature was watching him warily. “I need to pull out the blade. This is going to hurt…”

Harry slowly moved his hand down the blade, doing his best to keep it steady. He tentatively brushed his fingers over the edge of the tail, wary of the spikes that might prick him. He gripped the edge of the tail between his thumb and forefinger and bit his lip as he slowly started to pull the blade free to keep from making the cut any worse.

A pained noise came from the creature and he tried to move, but Harry shushed him as he did his best to keep him from moving his tail and causing himself more pain. He sighed when the blade was free and let go of the creature’s tail who pressed himself further into the rocks. Harry wondered when he started to think of him as a he.

“Harry!” He turned at the voice that called in the distance. “Harry where are you?”

It was Merlin. When he turned back to the rock the merman was gone and Harry felt a not so subtle pang of disappoint sit low in his stomach at that. He couldn’t blame him for leaving so quickly. He’d literally drove a sword through his tail. He’d probably never forgive him for that as desperate as Harry was becoming for the chance to apologize.

“I’m over here,” he called instead at another shout for him. The fog from earlier had mostly dissipated and their boat idled through the rock outcroppings slowly, wary of the shoreline that was extending into the waves. Merlin was at the railing, hand over his eyes as he scanned the waves for any sign of him.

Harry raised a hand over his head and saw Merlin’s shoulders sag in relief for a moment before he was straightening and Harry knew he was going to be in a world of punishment as soon as he stepped foot back on that boat. He slipped his blade back into his scabbard and started to wade further out so he could get back to the boat.

Merlin threw him a lifeline and pulled him in, helping him up over the side. Harry leaned against the side as water soaked the deck from his clothes.

“Ow,” he winced when Merlin’s hand smacked him over the head. “What the bloody hell was that for?”

“For getting yourself tossed overboard is what. Care to tell me what happened?” Merlin asked, crossing his arms as the boat made an effort of turning and setting their course for a return to the docks.

“The boat veered too sharply and I was too close to the edge. The change caused me to stumble and fall over the side. I’m alright, Merlin, but I think…” He hesitated. “I think our search will be fruitful. I don’t think there’s anything out here for us to find.”

Merlin gave him a curious look, but nodded. “I’ll pass your thoughts along to Arthur and see what he wants to do.”

~~

Harry bit back a sigh when he was loaded up onto the ship again the next day. Turns out, Arthur was desperate enough to not listen to his advice when it came to searching for the creature. Harry took up his post at the edge of the railing and scanned the water as the boat cut through the waves and around the coast. His eyes stayed fixated on the water as he searched for the golden tail that he’d seen yesterday.

Since he’d left the ocean behind his thoughts had been filled with the merman and the painful expression that had been on his face when he’d pierced his tale. That image had kept him up at night and he’d wanted to bring something to give him to make it up to him, but he wasn’t sure what to give a merman when he knew nothing about him.

They turned a corner, too sharply and Harry stumbled, barely managing to keep himself from going over the side. He looked back over his shoulder at the main deck and wondered if it was the same thing as yesterday. Another sharp movement around a rock outcropping had Harry’s lips pulling up into a smile. He waited a moment, assessing the situation to make sure his hypothesis was right.

The boat jerked again and Harry didn’t hesitate before diving over the side of the boat underneath the waves. He moved against the pull of the waves and broke the surface, turning to watch the boat move away. He turned and started kicking through the water, moving towards the rocks. He grabbed onto them as waves gently lapped at his jacket and looked around, hoping the merman would return.

“I’m not sure if you’re here. Or if you’re listening, but I’m sorry. About yesterday. I know I hurt you and I regret it so much. I don’t know how I can make it up to you, but…I’m sorry.” Harry let his head fall forward on the rocks and closed his eyes, feeling more than a little bit like a complete arse.

He listened to the waves around him and furrowed his brow when it sounded like there was something flapping against the waves and their path. Harry blinked his eyes open and turned his head, jerking back and falling under the waves at the sight of curious blue eyes blinking at him. A golden tail swished in the water around him as the merman ducked under the waves to look at him.

Remembering he was under water and really needed to breathe, Harry kicked to the surface and broke through with a grasp. He grasped at the rocks and waited as the merman carefully broke the surface, only letting his eyes above water.

“You’re here,” he breathed.

The merman blinked at him and Harry cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry about your tail,” he added. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I left my sword at home. I knew I couldn’t bring it back with me. I just…don’t know how to make it better.”

He raised himself up so his whole head was above water. His head tilted to the side as he watched Harry. Harry moved slowly, pushing off the rocks to try and tread water and get closer. The merman moved back and Harry tried to tamp down on the disappointment he felt.

“Do you have a name?” he asked. “My name’s Harry.”

“Harry?” he asked.

Harry blinked. “You can talk!” he exclaimed.

“Yes.” He paused. “Why did you hurt me?” he asked, keeping his distance.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“But you did. Why?”

Harry looked down at the water. “My…boss. He was obsessed with the reports of a creature who was half-person and half-fish. He’d sent me out to find and capture you. I realized, too late, that you are a living creature and I hurt you.”

“Are you going to capture me?” he asked, swimming away.

Harry shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. I tried to convince him to leave you alone, but he wouldn’t believe me.”

“What’s he going to do?”

Harry sighed. “He’s probably going to keep coming after you. If he doesn’t send me, he’s going to send someone else.”

“I’ll turn them away,” he said with a shrug. “Like before.”

“You mean that fog?” Harry asked.

He nodded. “It’s one of my specialties. Unfortunately.”

There was something underlying the statement that had Harry wondering about what had happened in his past.

“You should leave,” Harry said. “They’ll keep coming after you so you should get somewhere safe.”

He backed away, eyes widening. “I can’t. This is my home. I can’t just leave it behind. If I were to leave because of every threat that I was faced with, I would’ve left a long time ago. And I’d never stop moving.”

“Let me help you,” Harry asked.

“How? What do you think you can do? You already said you tried to convince your boss to leave us alone and he didn’t believe you. What else do you think you can do?”

Harry shrugged, kicking harder when he dipped under the waves. “Try harder? I’m sure I could convince him to turn his attentions somewhere else. There has to be something else I can do.”

“And you expect me to wait here for you to take care of me? I’ve been getting along fine myself. Why should I have your help?”

“I-“ Harry started and stopped. “I don’t know. You don’t need my help, but the least I could do would be to eliminate the number of threats you have to face. Maybe then I could make up for…well, stabbing you. How is your tail by the way?”

He smirked and flicked his tail above water. “All healed.”

Harry stared at it. “But…how?”

“You assume I live by your standards. We’re not barbarians you know. We have our own ways of living and advancements that you would have no concept of.”

Harry chuckled. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything you do then.”

He tilted his head.

“Harry!” A voice called around the coast. “Harry where are you?”

The merman swam forward and crowded into Harry’s space much to his surprise. “My name is Eggsy,” he said before disappearing under the waves.

Harry blinked at the disappearance and let out a breath. Hopefully he’d see him again soon.

~~

Harry gingerly picked his way across the rocks to the ocean. The waves lapped at them and he was glad he wore something more casual than the suit he’d been caught in the previous two days, but this time he was alone. Merlin had given him a curious look when he’d been hauled back over the side of the boat the other day. Harry just hoped he had a little longer before Merlin actually suspected something was going on.

For now, he sat down cross-legged on the slippery surface of the rock and looked over the waves. It was a cloudy day and he could see a little further into the waves than he would if the sun were shining. He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

A splash of water hit him in the chest and his gaze snapped to the water at being startled. Eggsy grinned at him from the waves and it was such a different welcome from the day before he didn’t know what to say.

“You’re alone today,” he said, swimming closer.

Harry sighed. “I am. After the two previous days and the mysterious fog the crew had reported. Arthur wanted to question them himself meaning I got the day off.”

“And you decided to come visit me?” he asked, grin stretching wider.

Harry cleared his throat and shifted in place. “I came to talk to you,” he said pointedly.

“Oooh,” Eggsy said, nodding. He slipped his hands behind his head and leaned back to float on the waves, his tail staying hidden underneath the water. Harry was surprised when his eyes caught on something shining on his skin. Harry shifted from side to side, thinking it was the light catching on water droplets, but he realized, perhaps a little too late, that it was scales shining on his skin.

“See something you like?” Harry’s eyes flicked up to Eggsy’s face and he cleared his throat.

“Sorry. I just noticed your scales.”

Eggsy stretched backwards, the muscles of his torso rippling underneath his skin. Harry swallowed and looked away. He spluttered when water splashed on his face and he looked to find Eggsy’s golden tail resting on the water.

“Aren’t you worried about someone seeing you?”

Eggsy shook his head. “You’re the only one here. I’d know if someone was coming.”

“How?”

“Sensors,” he said with a shrug.

“Sensors?” Harry asked. “Another thing I don’t know about?”

“There are lots of things you don’t know about,” Eggsy said, rolling onto his stomach and turning to face Harry. “And not just form my side of the water.”

Harry smiled. “You’ve got attitude.”

Eggsy smirked. “Life would be pretty boring if I didn’t.”

He nodded. “I can’t deny that. You’ve certainly given our conversations a certain character.”

Eggsy shrugged. “I tend to do that.”

Harry felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out with a frown. Eggsy cocked his head curiously as he answered the call.

“Merlin? Is something wrong? You don’t usually call me.”

“I just learned something that you’re probably going to want to know,” he said, speaking low and quickly.

Harry sat up straighter, instantly alert. “What is it?”

“Arthur isn’t giving up on the creature. In fact, he’s putting together a team to track it down. He’s not willing to kill it, but he’s not against seriously harming it if it means getting it locked in a cage. If he doesn’t experiment on it himself, it’s going to go big on the black market.”

Harry felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. “Black market? How…I mean…”

“I know, Harry. It’s bad. You need to be prepared because the boat is going out tomorrow. They know where to look and as much as the fog has turned them back the past two days, I’m not sure they’re going to let it stop them this time, especially since they have an idea of what it means.”

“But-but how did they figure this out? I thought they had no idea what they were dealing with?”

“Arthur only made it seem that way. The crew didn’t know what was going on other than what we’d been assigned to do, but Arthur has been keeping tabs on all the crews he sends out. This has been a long time coming and I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Harry clenched his fist against his leg. Eggsy swam curiously in front of him, but Harry wasn’t seeing him at the moment.

“Who’s going to be on that ship tomorrow?” Harry asked.

“Charlie.”

Harry swallowed. “We have to stop that boat, Merlin.”

“There’s not much I can do from this side of things. I’m not going to be allowed on deck. I can try to get on board and sabotage their equipment, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Thanks for the tip, Merlin,” Harry said, letting out a heavy breath. “If I live through this, I owe you the best bottle of Kentucky bourbon I can get.”

“Of course you do. But don’t go getting yourself fucking killed, Harry.”

Harry nodded even though Merlin couldn’t see him and ended the call.

“Harry?” Eggsy asked, tail hitting the waves nervously. “What was that about?”

Harry let out a breath and focused on Eggsy who was watching him with wide eyes. “You’re in trouble.”

Eggsy flinched backwards. “What did you do?” he whispered.

“Nothing, nothing,” Harry said, holding up his hands. “It was nothing I did. It was my employer. Look, I need to go. I need to come up with some way from stopping them from hunting you down. Tell your family or friends or whoever you live with that you’re in danger. Find any weapons you can if you’re not willing to leave and get ready for a fight because I can tell you these guys aren’t just going to let you get away. I’ll be back, Eggsy, I promise,” he said scrambling to his feet.

“Harry…”

“Please just, stay safe,” he said, turning to pick his way back over the rocks.

“Harry, wait!” Eggsy called.

He paused and turned back to find Eggsy half up on the rock he’d been sitting on, arm outstretched towards him.

“I’ll be okay, Eggsy. Take care of yourself and I’ll find you tomorrow.”

Eggsy retracted his arm and nodded, sliding back into the water. Harry turned back to his ascent up the side to his car. He had a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it.

~~

Harry let out a sigh as he slid his arms through the suit jacket. It seemed a little ridiculous to be dressing in one of his suits when falling into the ocean water was inevitable, but it was the way he was trained and if he was going to fight, he was going to look his best while doing it.

He strapped his saber around his waist and gave his reflection an onceover. He looked like the impeccable member of Kingsman he’d been trained to be, but for the first time he was going to abandon his duties and the institution he’d sworn himself to. Above all, he’d been trained to protect what was right and just and the innocent. If that meant taking down the organization that had brought him to where he was, then so be it.

~~

Harry picked his way over the rocks to the water. Even though he’d chosen to wear his suit, he’d forgone the shoes to make it easier if he was swimming or climbing over rocks. Oxfords weren’t exactly known for having excellent tread.

He looked over the water. “Eggsy?”

They hadn’t exactly decided on a meeting point or time. Or really thought through a plan, but he hoped that he’d be listening for his return regardless. Movement under the waves caught his attention and he breathed a sigh.

“Harry,” he said, breaking the surface.

“Has the boat arrived yet?”

Eggsy shook his head. “They haven’t entered my radius yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re not getting close.”

“When they do, I need you to do me a favor.”

Eggsy gave him a look and swam backwards, obviously wary. “What?”

“Can you swim me to the boat?”

His eyes widened. “No!”

“Eggsy, please…”

“You want me to put you in the middle of those awful people? They want to capture me or hurt me and you don’t think they won’t do the same to you?” he scoffed.

“There’ll be a fight I’m sure, but I need to fight. Let me help you. Let me help protect you.”

Eggsy pursed his lips. “Fine,” he sighed. “But you better not die on me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Harry said.

“Come on,” Eggsy said, gesturing to the water. They just turned the corner into my marked territory. They’ll be here in a couple of minutes and we need to get you in a concealed place in case anyone’s watching.”

Harry climbed down off the rock and slid into the water, bobbing for a moment before Eggsy’s strong arms wrapped around him and held him close. He caught a whiff of what smelled like sea spray and sand and wondered if it was carried on the wind from somewhere else or if he was smelling it from Eggsy.

He wrapped an arm around Eggsy’s shoulders as his tail propelled them forward. He wove through the rocks expertly and found one on the edge of the outcropping that would keep them hidden and allow for easy maneuvering.

They heard the shouts that got increasingly louder and watched as the boat turned the corner. There were several people on deck and it sounded as though they were shouting directions at the crew.

Eggsy swore under his breath. “Looks like I’ll need to improve my defenses if they’re smart enough to work around them like that.”

Harry spotted Arthur and Charlie on the deck looking smug. Charlie looked like he was jittery with excitement.

“Okay, bring me in,” Harry said.

Eggsy grumbled but pushed them away from the rock, falling in carefully behind the boat to give them cover.

“Ready?” he asked as they caught up to the stern.

“Ready,” Harry nodded.

Eggsy pushed Harry up out of the water, he suspected there was something else at play than just brute strength, and he landed on the rear deck. His entrance was anything but quiet and he caught the attention of Charlie and Arthur.

“So this is what you’ve been hiding from us,” Arthur said. “I expected more from you, Galahad.”

“These creatures deserve to remain in their habitat. They’re not something for you to make money off of in your black market dealings,” he shot back.

“Well the way I see it,” Arthur said, looking around. “You’re the only person standing in my way.”

The boat shuddered and rocked viciously. Harry managed to keep his balance and used the momentary confusion to rush forward, drawing his sword. Charlie darted forward and blocked the strike he’d intended for Arthur. Charlie grinned and Harry pushed their blades apart as the boat rocked again.

Harry managed to keep his balance where Charlie stumbled and he made a speedy strike at Charlie’s hand, cutting a deep gash and forcing him to drop his sword. Harry picked up the second blade and kicked Charlie to the side. He rushed forward towards Arthur whose eyes widened. He struggled to free his own blade, but Harry crossed both of his at Arthur’s neck. Arthur raised his shaky hands and swallowed.

“Look, Galahad-“

“I don’t want to hear it,” he interrupted. “You will leave this community alone. You’re a threat to them and a danger. You should’ve focused your efforts on protecting them from predators and people like you instead of trying to make money off of them. Never come back.”

“You seem to have mistaken what we’ve set out to do-“

“Have I?” he asked. “Because from where I’m standing, you can’t do much to excuse the armed crewman on this ship.”

The boat rocked again and Harry lost his footing. Arthur ducked out of the reach of the swords, pulling a gun from his jacket.

“Not another move,” he said, grin pulling at his lips.

Harry scowled. The boat shuddered underneath them and Harry wondered if they were about to capsize.

“Harry!”

His gaze snapped to the side where Eggsy was floating in the water, expression panicked as he took in the situation.

Arthur smirked. “I think I’ll start with that one. The buyers will adore the coloring on it. It’ll fetch the highest price I’m sure.”

“He’s not a thing,” Harry snarled.

“Or maybe I should kill it now,” he continued, swinging the gun around to point at Eggsy. Harry felt his heart stop. “Someone will find a use for the scales. Perhaps a pair of shoes or a purse. Maybe even a rug. They could have the tail stuffed or put it in a museum.”

Eggsy shrank back from the gun, dipping under the water, but not disappearing entirely so he could know what was going on.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on him,” Harry threatened.

“Or what?”

The sunny day they had known disappeared as the waves crashed over the side of the boat, making it rock. The railing on port side splintered as the boat was turned, bow pointed out to sea. Harry took the chance and positioned himself between Arthur and Eggsy making Arthur scowl.

“I’ve had enough of you. You’ve become quite the pest and all pests should be exterminated.”

The boat rocked again as the gun went off. Harry’s head snapped back and he was blinded by pain. He was distantly aware of Eggsy screaming his name as he stumbled backwards and fell over the side, everything turning black as he sank through the water.

~~

The constant hum of water lapping the shore was what brought him back to consciousness. He shifted, feeling the hard press of ground against his back.

“Harry?!”

He blinked, trying to clear his vision from the brightness of the sun and focused on Eggsy’s worried face over his.

“Eggsy? What happened?”

Eggsy’s hand went to his and squeezed it. “You were shot in the head. I thought you’d died, but our doctor was able to heal you. If you’d been brought back to your physician I don’t know if you would’ve survived.”

“What happened to Arthur?”

Eggsy’s worry abated for a moment and he grinned. “I took care of them. Just had to send their boat out a little further and rip it in half, leaving them to try and swim back to shore. I think that will keep them away. For a bit anyway.”

“But you’re safe?” Harry asked, finally managing to sit up. He took in the ground he thought he’d been laying on was actually a rock and Eggsy was perched next to him, golden tail moving back and forth in the water.

“Yes, I’m safe. Thanks to your help, I guess.” Harry looked down at where Eggsy was playing with his fingers. “I was worried, you know. When you were shot. I kind of panicked. You didn’t have to get in front of me. I would’ve been fine.”

“I couldn’t let him hurt you. Not after I’d done something so horrible to you myself,” Harry murmured.

“Hey, Harry?”

“Hm?” He looked up slowly, vision filling with golden hair as Eggsy cupped his face and brought their lips together. Harry wrapped his arm around Eggsy’s waist and pulled him closer, drinking in his sun-warmed skin and running his fingers over where the tightly clustered scales of his tail began on his lower back.

Eggsy sighed when he pulled away. “Sorry, I probably should’ve asked…”

“Nonsense,” Harry interrupted, keeping Eggsy close and kissing him again. He could get used to the sea. Especially when everything-the smell, the sparkles, and the golden color at sunset-reminded him of Eggsy.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com
> 
> Twitter: twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m


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